I think it's about time someone wrote a review of this place. This is a locals bar on lakeshore…read moreby browns line. Have to admit my first couple trips here were not great... it was a lot rougher place back pre-Covid and it was not uncommon for fights to break out... along with some unsavoury characters hanging out by the pool table. Fast forward to 2024 and it's a much different picture. Still very much a locals bar, but it's become a friendly regular hangout for me when in the area. Food (4/5) - I've had multiple items on the menu and tend to try the daily specials which are usually pretty good. The wings are quite good too... meaty and cooked the way you want them... especially salt and pepper. Service (4.75/5) - I get the sense this has improved significantly over time but the current dynamic duo of Ellena and Yasmin do a great job of managing the bar and floor most nights. Food orders come out quickly and they are always attentive and friendly. Ellena is the sole reason I gave this place a second chance after having a couple bad first experiences. Atmosphere (4/5) - it's your typical locals bar with a central bar, lots of TVs and the requisite pool table. SJ is unique in that they have live bands 3-4 nights a week with no cover most nights. Crowds are muted Monday to Wednesday... and then fills up on Thursdays through Sunday. After coming here a few times I had locals coming up to me saying hi and getting to know you. Not at all like those pre 2020 days. Overall (4.25/5) - I think this place got a bad rap before and probably deservedly. This is a different bar now and I would encourage people to check it out.

Atmosphere is good, but I was sorely disappointed with the beef ribs. Not sure where they sourced…read morethe meat from, but it was dry/chewy and not much meat on it. For $7.50/rib, I should've ordered the tacos

A nice karaoke bar that offers happy hour from 3-8 PM. Total was around $30 for 3 hours, so…read more~$10/hr. The l staff was great with introductions to the room and how to use the machine. The food menu was expansive and caters to various flavour profiles

Not great for English songs…read more The Good - large venue, lotsa rooms - clean - packages, instead of per hour, are decently priced if you have at least 6+ ppl! - alcoholic drinks are included in the credit - servers did respond to bell in a reasonable manner - servers were pretty polite, accommodating when splitting the bill The Not-So-Good - selection of English songs aren't great, they didn't even have Hall & Oates listed! - if you select the YouTube videos, there aren't any lyrics, so it's kinda pointless. Some vids didn't even load! - not a lot of food options, lotsa fried/food that can be cooked quickly - slow-ish service. Took quite some time for the first round of drinks/food to arrive - food is mediocre. The fried chicken wings are pretty much tasteless - some iced drinks weren't great, too chunky/sweet. Bubble tea is probably from a powdered mix, had to add water 'cause it was waaay too sweet - since it's a package, prices esp on food/bottles is pretty overpriced, so you hafta order wisely - kareoke system wasn't super user-friendly - 15% gratuity was automatically included in the bill. So you'll be paying that even if the service is slow &/or sucks If you're in the mood for kareoke, in English, I'm sure there are better options in the City! High Zone is OK, but go in a group of at least 6ppl 'cause it's $200/3 hours, so it's better value.

Reservation: Request done via e-mail. The owner Bruno was very good and helpful. Rating 4.5/5…read morestars. Food: Ordered the soup of the day tonight. It was turkey vegetable It was extremely salty to the taste and was a generous size bowl serving. Chicken Butts: Boneless chicken fried and coated with buffalo sauce. It was not spicy at all and only 6 smallish sized pieces. Could be a bit better. 3/5 Server: Not attentive at all. i had to go to the bar to flag someone down and have her tell the server that i wanted to order some food and had waited over 2 hrs. She kept avoiding me. Not good for the server and so she's not going to get a tip. She didn't even come by to ask if my bf wanted another drink. 0/5 stars. Entertainment: Lots of tvs with sports playing at all times. Friday music night was awesome though! It is a local band and the sound system was amazing. They sounded wonderful! 5/5

I usually go there for the buy a pound get a pound half off wings on Wednesdays. Everytime I do…read morethey never disappoint and I crave them all the time. They are pretty quick in service being it is a bar. Great atmosphere and definitely worth the money and 5 stars!

The E-bar was the location for my networking reception during an event this past weekend…read more I can't comment much on the actual food they may provide, but from what was offered in the reception, I enjoyed the food very much. They had a large selection of cheese varieties available ranging from camembert to blue cheese, as well as assorted veggies with dipping sauce, grilled flatbread, and homemade panko-crusted meatballs. The event space was large and overall decent, although the seating could've been arranged better, as the booths were quite tight considering our party. The acoustics were also quite loud, and voices were bouncing off the walls like crazy, which made conversations quite difficult. Other than that, the bar did a very good job accompanying us, and my group was satisfied with the night overall.

So, my friend and I felt pekish for a drink and nice atmosphere.. We'd heard good things about this…read moreplace so we thought we'd pop in... We walked upstairs to find an empty dance floor and a few randomly scattered patrons. Okay - so not exactly the lovely atmosphere we were hoping for... But nonetheless, since we were more about getting a nice drink - we thought we'd at least stay for one. Sigh. We were disappointed. We watched one table get menus and then patently waited for ours. They did not come. We thought, "...perhaps the dozen or so people here might be overwhelming? So let's wait a little longer shall we? Unfortunately that did not help. I finally went over to the bar and asked for a menu. I was matter-of-factly told that there was no table service on Fridays. We weren't quite sure why - seeing as the waiter to patron ratio was approximately 1:4. We thought we'd just cut our losses - and were getting up to leave - when the waitress later popped by with a menu - saying, "I thought you were waiting for people..." Wow - really?? This review was written from a lovely bar just down the street which does in fact provide table service on Friday night.

came here to support one of the best local cover bands ever, and had some food as well. food was…read moredecent, was a bit of a nightmare to be able to pay for the meal in an effort to free up a table for people who wanted to enjoy food with the on-going music. when this place gets packed, it's impossible to move from spot to spot, and with the layout of this place, you will definitely be in the way, as I was moved into the hallway for the men's bathroom at one point. parking is less then ideal here as well, with street parking and then residential parking down the road, but no dedicated lot would come back. but a lot of "little" things leaves this from being a solid 5

Great place, I've been a handful of times, chicken wraps are f uckin delicious, wings are awesome,…read morebeer is fresh and cold, staff are awesome!

I had to do it again because I just do. 5 stars why go to other bars. I'd rather drink an ipa on…read moreMars. Smoke cigs and watch passing cars.

Coming from the Craft beer capital I made many efforts to try local and when eating nextdoor I…read morecould not resist a chalkboard that said 50+ beers. Most placed I'd been to had small selections of their own beer, but to me you have to really diversity to get to that 50 plateau and I was right. 50+ beers from all over (even back home). Steady changing selections of all craft, some local, but as varied as anyone can get around here. It's dark, small, warm, cozy, inviting, but ultimately weird. Hipster AF. I was glad to see some classic cocktails on the menu which I also tried, but there is a weird bottle neck at the chalkboard as it narrows to the bar opening which makes ordering just awkward if the bar itself isn't open. They do an interesting thing asking for your name instead of tabbing you via a card to hold, but that also doesn't seem to be a Canadian thing like it is back in the States. My pisco sour was excellent, fresh juice, fresh egg white, well shaken, though I'm more a fan of metal on metal and I'm starting to think kold-draft is a luxury as many places simply don't have it. Kold draft or even 2+ inch molded ice has a very unique clang that I like. Ultimately bad if your shaking with glass though. My friends had a few lagers and ales which Hamilton is more known for than IPA's. We sat at the back where it was quite and we could hear ourselves instead of shouting over people. They have board games which I imagine is great fun and even a back patio which I imagine goes off in the summer. The staff are friendly and pretty knowledgeable, but I'd have like to seem a little more eye in the sky control, in that regard it's more barista than bar. On any given night here you'll hear conversations of beard oil, compost, prius', and other hipster topics. It's quietly romantic and dark so no one will bother you whatever your opinions are. If a Portland hipster mated with a San Francisco hipster, The Brain would be their baby.

The place is super cute, and they have theme nights which are fun (live bands, trivia night, etc.)…read more The staff is lovely, like REALLY nice, and I guess the beer choices are good. However, they could use an updated menu with more choice. I know, it's pub fare, but it's a bit lacking.

Had an event here and they went out of their way to make sure we were taken care of and had a good…read moretime. My compliments to the entire staff

Been going to this place since the new Owners got it... Been years. Consistency of the Food and…read moreWings in particular is great. Always a great wing expierence. The wings are perfect size and cooked to perfection. Not many sauces, but I stick with my favorite Franks Baked. Great people, great food and great times.

First time back here in fifteen years and it has not lost its feel as a great neighbor hood bar…read more Wings are as good as anywhere, our other food was really good and the service was terrific. Beer choice a little limited but the Moosehead was just fine with the wings etc.